Hereditary politics is a common feature in many democracies, as Butt notes and this is not necessarily injurious
FAISALABAD: This is in response to an article by Salma Butt entitled ‘Inherited politics: choice or destiny?’ published in The Express Tribune on July 19th. The writer argues that a political career is often pursued by descendants of politicians since their lives culminate in this response and compels them to pursue a political destiny. It is interesting that Butt dwells on this subject matter, which is particularly relevant in Pakistan, where the Bhuttos and Sharifs have established alternating dynasties.
Hereditary politics is a common feature in many democracies, as Butt notes the Trudeaus and Clintons, and this is not necessarily injurious. As some scholars argue, it can have positive spillovers into parliamentary workflow, raise efficiency and create institutional cohesiveness among members of legislatures. Conversely, it can also be argued that hereditary politics creates negative externalities, spurs corruption, lowers mobility and creates parliamentary inertia. The debate is open and, to some extent, both the advocates and opponents of family politics are right in their own arguments. However, what happens when nepotism becomes the prominent feature of a country’s political system?
Butt goes on to make an interesting point, whereby she feels that the voting population has shifted to weighing the merits of candidates rather than blindly following them. This is apparent in our political environment, in which voters are reluctant to vote for Bilawal or Maryam just because their parents were famous. In her words, people “question the descendant’s political aptitude to rule mainstream political parties amidst senior, experienced and trained politicians who may better serve as second tier of political leadership.”
Agreeing with her argument, I also wonder how fair inherited politics are. Often the normal rules of party discipline and institutional norms do not apply to descendants of politicians. Hereditary democrats have the gain of having both the palpable and intangible resources needed to participate in democratic politics. This gives them relatively easy access to prestige, politics and power.
Abdullah Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2017.
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